The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-10-02
Phe Place They Have Occupied
in the Nations History.
HOW THEY HAVE FILLED IT.
From the Earliest Days of the Repub-
lie to the Time OF Mrs.
Cleveland.

With the remarkable hold which Mrs
Cleveland has won for herself in the
love and admiration of her counrymen
in view, it is interesting to look in retro,
spect upon the influence which the
noble women who have preceded her
have exerted in the households of the
President and in the public sentiment OF
the Nation.
When the incipient struggles for
liberty began in Virginia, with every in
terest at the time pointing toward the
royal side, Mrs. Washington encour
aged by her approval the activity which
her husband had shown on the colonia
side. When the clouds of disaster end
disappointment lowered over his path
way in the line of public duty she slim
ulated him by words of confidence in
ultimate triumph. In the Inauguration
of his administration she gave the social
surroundings of the President prestige
which has been the example for all her
successors.
Although the Federal and anti
Federal leaders made John Adams the
soapegoat of their controversies on the
constitutional constructions and per
sonal preferences, Mrs. Adams, as the
lady to first preside over and lnaugurate
the social regime of the then newly -oc
cupied and unfinished PRESIDENTS
House" at Washington, in the one brief
season OF her life there left an impress
sion upon the incipient social life of the
Nations Capitol which can never be ef-
faced.
Mrs. Madison put the indelible i'm
press of her Womanly presence and in
huence upon four administrations.
When Jefferson entered the executive
mansion he had long been a widower
In the absence of his daughter, Mrs.
Randolph, who visited Washington
three seasons during the eight years of
his life in the Presidents Office, Mrs.
Madison, the wife of his Secretary of
state, presided over the social affairs of
the executive household. Tie bitter
ness and disappointment occasioned by
the overthrow of the dignitied surround
ings of Washington and Adams, and
the attempt to establish a social com
mune by Jefferson were greatly relieved
by the tact of Mrs. Madison. When
she became the first lady of the repub-
lie in her own right, she restored the
old Continental school which had been
established by Mrs. Washington and
Mrs. Adams, and made the social life of
the administration of her husband
brilliant and attractive. Even after
his death the prestige of her social
triumphs in the executive mansion
made her public receptions for twelve
years at her own home in Washington
New Years and Independence Days as
much patronized by the distinguished
men and women in pubic aud social
life as were the receptions at the execu-
tive mansion.
During the administration of Monroe
the rancor of partisan strife began to
disturb the peaceful relations of the
social world at the apital. Yet by the
kindly grace OF her manner aud her
queenly Example, Mrs. Monroe made
her husbands life n the Executive
mansion famous as an era Of good feel
ing. Mrs. Jonn Quincy Adams, though
not demons ratlve in her social
methods, managed the social affairs of
v.
But for Emily Donelson, the niece OF
President Jackson and presiding lady
of his household, the social war which
the old hero had createi through his
cham pionship of Peggy O'Nell Tim ber-
lake Eaton, the wife of his Secretary of
War, for social recognition, would have
r. Mt the Administration to pieces and
the victor of New Orleans and the
faVorite of the people would have sacri-
feed all the prestige of his military and
civic splendor. Angelica Singleton ap-
peared upon the scene as the bride OF
The son of President Van Buren, when
Lnat stormy Administration had run
about year. Ibis beautiful daught-r
of South Carolina soon allayed the
tempests of sectional feeling and politl-
cal strife, and closed the social regime
of the times of the Magician OF Kin
der look" in a blaze of gIory.
Two wives adorned the social life of
the Ex, curive household during the ad
OF Tyler. Both were
beautiful, and both filed their places |
with great credit to themselves and the |
enj 'yableness of the social surround |
ngs Of the Presidents household. The |
first Mrs Tyler left The executive man |
sion a corpse at the close of the first |
year, and the second Mrs. Tyler en-
iered it as bride in the last year of the
The impress of their |
orief presence made itself felt. Mrs |
Polk. quiet sensible, intelligent woman
n her drawing-room Gained the storms
If opposition in the forum OIL the ques-
ions growing out of the war with
Mexico.
While plain Mrs. Taylor was busyiDg
herself with the congeniai domestic
ares of the kitchen and the household,
Ter daughter Betty graced the drawing
Dom OF the new Wing administration.
After the victorious campaign which
,urst upon the public mind at Palo Alto
md eliminated in lustre at Buena Vista,
he little cottage on the banks of the
in the barracks at Batou
Rouge became the object of attraction
o passengers as they tarried on their
-oyages up or down that mighty
tresm. Here Betty Taylor, the third
nd youngest daughter of old Rough
nd Ready" rec, lived the admirers of
Ter father with infinite grace. she
ap.ured all hears. While the veteran
Tas carrying the lines of the enemy on
be fields of Texas and Mexico his de-
oted daughter was preparing the way
0 the popular heart and the highest Of
&c in the gift of the people.
When the hero of the early campaig 8
! Mexico became President his faVorIte